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"Weed and wine, doesn't that sound good together?"
One Paso Robles resident asked that question at an Aug. 18 community forum where residents discussed the implications of allowing recreational cannabis dispensaries to operate within the city.
Some residents vehemently opposed the idea, citing the effects of cannabis on youth and increasing crime rates. Others, like longtime resident Camille Katz, supported the idea of bringing recreational cannabis to Paso.
"I'm a working professional, I have children. I'm a better mom because I'm able to manage my anxiety because of this thing Mother Earth gave us," Katz said, adding that allowing recreational cannabis could bring more tax revenue to the city. " ... $2.4 million. That speaks to me, that speaks to my children. That's how much Grover Beach brought in marijuana revenue last year. Our schools could use that, our children could use that, and the city could use that."
The forum comes after the City Council approved developing a cannabis governance framework earlier this year as part of its goals for the next two fiscal years. The framework was presented at the beginning of the forum before participants were able to weigh in. As of right now, Paso only has one medical marijuana dispensary operating in town that's limited to delivery only, and the only recreational dispensaries to the north are in Greenfield or King City. Otherwise, residents must travel south to cities like Morro Bay, Grover Beach, and San Luis Obispo.
HdL Companies, the city's contracted cannabis consultant, showed that one recreational cannabis storefront in Paso Robles could generate up to $4 million per year in gross receipts.
Current mayoral candidate Michael Rivera, who ran for City Council in 2018 and lost, said he was concerned about the impact cannabis could have on teenagers and young adults if the drug became readily available. Rivera talked about his great-grand-nephew who passed away after smoking marijuana laced with fentanyl.
"I've been around a long time. There is no problem here. You can have marijuana delivered to your door. And we do not need to open the door to additional access to what is a very powerful drug. Cannabis is 90 percent THC. And they'll say, 'Oh, it's highly regulated, there's nothing that's going to be filtered into it,'" Rivera said. "Well y'know, tell Aaron that. But you can't because he's dead."
Existing state law subjects marijuana products from any retail storefront to "third party testing for mold, pesticides, and other contaminants," according to a presentation by HdL Companies. State law also dictates that dispensaries cannot sell cannabis to people under 21 or 18 with a medical card and mandates ID verification prior to entry. HdL also said that the city can fund youth prevention services using cannabis tax revenues and routine inspections of facilities.
City resident Monica Thomas said that she originally didn't want her kids to touch any sort of drugs, especially marijuana. But she had a change of heart when she realized the drugs used to treat mental health issues came with terrible side effects.
"And I also realized the terrible side effects of alcohol, drinking and driving, DUI's," Thomas said during the forum. "Of course, cannabis has side effects too, but overall I now believe that it's a safer choice when handled responsibly, if managed responsibly in the city, and have enough education for young people to know what the effects are." Δ